HASTINGS.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXXV, Issue 11590, 17 July 1900, Page 4

HASTINGS.

[FBOM OUR OWN COKIIESI'dNiJSHT.J July 16, 1900. The arrangement adopted in reference to the threatened trouble from the river at RoyVHill of a meeting on' the spot of representatives of the two bodies, directly interested as having the welfare of the settle^, on the Heretaunga plains under, their oharge and control, was an excellent one, and no better morning, it so chanced; could have been chosen than {his for an agreeable drive to the place in question; A. start was made from the Borough Council Chambers, where one of Mr Bee- 1 croft's comfortable waggonettes, in charge of the proprietor, had been provided to co,nvey the Borough Counoil party to the Ngarvtroro at the foot of Roy's Hill. When " all wero on board " it was facetiously pointed out that if any trouble arose from " the other side " the requisite personnel of a " orowner's jury " was present, the " crowner/' in addition to a J.P., a police sergeant, sufficient " true and good men " to form the jury, and a Press representative making up the party. The Mayor, Crs. J. N. Williams, Beilby, Wellwood, and Thomson represented the Council, Mr Beecroft, a former councillor, was driving, and' Sergeant Smart and "Your Own Correspondent" accepted the invitation of the Mayor. Mr Fred. Cook, the Council road overseer, was also present. • On arriving at the river the party was Boon joined by Mr Hugh Campbell, chairman, and Messrs ' H. M'Kenzie and E. Collison, members of the Fukahu River Board, whilst Mr M'Phee, of Maraekakaho, who has had muoh experience in protective work at the Maraekakaho end of Boy's Hill, &c, attended on behalf of Mr Archie M'Lean, and Mr W. B. Jones (of A. Jones and Son) was also on the ground. After viewing the site where the Borough Counoil willows had established themselves some months since— the site is now some way out in the stream, and the willows have vanished— a vi-it was paid to the foot of the hill, around which the main stream of the river is running in considerable volume, and somewhat rapidly wearing out the loose shingly soil of the plain. _It is this stream that got in at the back of the willows and washed away the Council's work and £300 of the ratepayers' money. It is now useless to go into the question of whose the fault that this was not seen in time to avert the trouble and heavy loss. The Borough Connoil appear to have been under the impression that when the Pukahu Biver Board applied some months since for the permission to extend their jurisdiction they were the body upon whom the responsibility lay for protecting the work, but Mr H Campbell informed the meeting this morning that the Board only had control as from June last. It was true, he stated, that the Board had put into the river a quantity of willows to form resisting balks, as they foresaw the great danger that was threatening, and owing to the method of fixing these by cables they had in very great measure resisted the energy of the water, and remain and are forming a good growth of osiers. Mr Campbell is of opinion that if this method iB adopted even now at the seat of the tronble it will be quite sufficient to arrest the course of the stream. Every member of the party seemed fully alive to the great danger by which the plains have been threatened, and for the necessity of immediate action. One member said that if the water got over, the plains from the Ngaruroro to Havelock would be one swamp, and the future of Hastings be wrecked. The road overseer produced a plan of the river and adjacent country showing a proposed groin to be thrown out at an oblique angle- from a point of the hill under which the old bed of the river is, whioh would throw the stream out of its course, and ovon if Mr Campbell's suggestion is adopted a groin at this point seems advisable, and is favored by the Mayor and some of the Councillors as a means of protection to the former. As an outcome of the meeting it was decided to immediately apply to the Government to obtain the advice of the' engineers, who are coming to Napier to view the Western Spit encroachment, and it was pointed out also as the Government had valuable interests at stake in the railway property and Frimley settlement they might reasonably be approached for other assistance to effectually prevent what might easily prove a great disaster to the district. Ihe work must necessarily entail some considerable expense, but this has to be faced, and the Pukahu Eiver Boord are willing to bear the lion's share of the burden. Mr Campbell who, with Mr M'Phee, has visited the place on several occasions considers that no time should be lost, as the erosion is being so rapidly made. A large quantity of the silver poplars planted by the Council are doing well, and with a firm bank in front will be of great assistance to further en&ure protection. I have received from Mr R. Leslie Hunt, the eeoretary, a copy of the annual , report of the Jubilee Institute of the i Blind, showiqg what excellent work is - being done by that institution in Auek- , land in helping onr deeply afflicted i brothers and sisters to help themselveß. i The institution is worthy of every sup- > port. i As a recent result of ranging, the foli lowing is distinctly amusing : — A gentle- ; man, greatly irritated at the constant presence of a horse on his road, gave mii formation to the ranger, who, willing to - oblige, went up the road and succeeded in i taking charge of a horse, Unfortunately I a gardener who had been working in the informant's garden, had thought it no i harm to let his horse have a feed whilst ■ he was at work. The ranger took this I horse— and the offending one remains 3 there yet ! The chagrin of the gentle- . man in question may be imagined.